NASA Astronaut on Columbia Repair (and others)

Remember the question why NASA did not release their results on the
in orbit repair options for Columbia? It seems the results were too
unwanted obvious:


http://www.stpns.net/view_article.ht...43251064362304

Astronaut Talks Of Shuttle Disasters, Life In Space
By John Larson for Mountain Mail, November 09, 2006

Both space shuttle disasters, Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003, could
have been survivable, said former NASA astronaut and aeronautical engineer
Sid Gutierrez of Albuquerque.
....
As an Air Force instructor, fighter, and test pilot, he flew over 30
different types of airplanes, sailplanes, balloons and rockets. He
logged more than 4,500 hours of flying time. Gutierrez is a native
New Mexican born in Albuquerque, and currently a department manager
at Sandia National Laboratories.
....
Gutierrez said the fault lies in two words: "engineering arrogance".

ôNASA engineers were confident that they did everything right,ö Gutierrez
said. ôThey were so sure everything would work as planned they didnÆt
think an escape system was necessary. The fact is, if there had been
an escape system on Columbia and Challenger, the crews could have
survived.ö
....

As a NASA astronaut Gutierrez was pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia on
STS-40 in June, 1991, and commander of Endeavor on STS-59 in April, 1994.

In February 2003 Columbia disintegrated above Texas while re-entering
the earthÆs atmosphere.

ôIf the engineers at NASA had looked closer at the video that showed the
foam hitting the orbiterÆs wing, the crew could have done something about
the hole in the leading edge of the wing once they were in orbit,ö he
said.

He said something as simple as wet towels forming a several-inches-thick
layer of ice would have been enough to keep hot gasses from burning into
the crack in the leading edge.

ôThere was no escape system in place on the Columbia, either,ö Gutierrez
said. ôThe breakup started at about 200,000 feet. With oxygen masks, the
crew wouldÆve at least had some chance at surviving if theyÆd had a
parachute system.ö

He said the shuttle is the most dangerous space vehicle ever flown.



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